Tickets to see red-hot Dixie Chicks won't come cheap

But considering that the Chicks' first time out as a headlining act is one of the summer's hottest and most high-profile tours, fans may not consider ticket prices that steep.

Dixie Chicks will headline a concert at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 6 at the United Spirit Arena. The base price for reserved-seat tickets is $40.50 and $32.

However, the minimum handling fee for each ticket is $3, making ticket prices at least $43.50 and $35.

The band announced in April that the highest base ticket price, which does not include service charges paid to ticketing outlets, would be ''less than $40.''

They came close.

Elton John commanded a high base ticket price of $49.50 and a low of $29.50 at the USA in February. The KISS concert in March at the arena saw tickets priced at $37.50 on the high end and $29.50 on the low.

Dixie Chicks tickets officially go on sale at 10 a.m. June 17. They can be purchased in person at the Select-A-Seat outlets at Dollar Western Wear, Luskey's/Ryon's Western Wear, Memphis Place Mall, both Ralph's Records & Tapes locations and the Texas Tech University Center's ticket booth, or by telephone by calling 770-2000 or Select-A-Seat's toll-free number, 1-800-735-1288.

Capacity is expected to be about 13,500, with seating also utilized behind the stage as it was for the Elton John concert. Fans have several different options to consider when planning ticket purchases.

First of all, with the United Spirit Arena owned by Texas Tech, those who purchased personal seat licenses, or PSLs, for Tech basketball seating will be sold tickets in advance. For example: If someone bought two PSLs for the Tech men's season, the person is eligible to buy two concert tickets. If that person bought two PSLs for men's games and another two for women's games, the person can buy four concert tickets.

However, unlike Elton John, Dixie Chicks has dictated that no seats on the floor can be sold to anyone in advance.

In other words, PSL holders taking advantage of early ticket sales will be seated on the sides of the arena, according to arena manager Kent Meredith.

PSL holders have been informed via letters that, if they desire floor seats, they will have to seek them with the general public on June 17.

Meredith still expects PSL holders to claim as many as 2,000 tickets in advance, although he put pencil to paper and announced, ''If every PSL holder bought his or her maximum number of concert tickets, they could claim 3,433 tickets. But I don't think everyone with a PSL is going to buy tickets.''

Tech's PSL holders claimed about 2,000 tickets at the earlier Elton John show.

Also, don't expect every front row seat to be sold; Dixie Chicks is saving many for giveaways.

At least 2,000 tickets have been designated for out-of-town sales: 1,000 at Amarillo's Select-A-Seat (806-378-3096) and another 1,000 being sold by TicketMaster (214-378-8000).

No tickets will be distributed to Midland-Odessa outlets.

Lubbock's Select-A-Seat outlet managers will be allowed to set their own individual policies. Thus, patrons would be wise to call in advance to find out if individual outlets accept credit cards, checks or only cash.

Here are some of the rules for each outlet:

Memphis Place Mall Select-A-Seat manager John Walker indicated that fans will not be allowed to camp out at all. Instead, for the first time, the outlet plans to distribute numbered wristbands, beginning at 6 p.m. June 15, in preparation for a ticket lottery in the early morning on June 17.

How it works: Fans will be given a wristband with a number. A corresponding number will be placed in a box. Fans will return on June 17. A number will be drawn from the box. If that number is, say, 123, then the person with the wristband numbered 123 is allowed to buy tickets first. Wristband number 124 will follow, and so on.

Only after the last wristband number is called will the person with wristband number 1 be allowed to buy tickets.

The downside: There is no guarantee that even the first person in line will land tickets.

Dollar Western Wear Manager Al Carroll indicated that fans can line up and camp out as long as they want only along the north side of the store, with the sole restriction being that nearby businesses cannot be blocked.

Luskey's/Ryon's Western Wear Manager Charlie Brownlow indicated that fans will be allowed to line up and camp out for tickets only after the store closes at 8 p.m. on June 16. ''Otherwise,'' he said, ''all my parking is used up and I can't do business.''

Texas Tech University Center Box office manager Penny Schlabach indicated that tickets will be sold at 10 a.m. June 17, but that the building will be locked until shortly before that time.

She added that campus security ''probably will not allow camping overnight, so people can't start lining up here (on June 17) until after dawn.''

Ralph's Records & Tapes on University Avenue This venue's policy is that fans can line up and camp out whenever they want, and as long as they want, with no restrictions.

Ralph's Records & Tapes on 82nd Street Owner Ralph DeWitt said that fans will be allowed to line up and camp out beginning at 6 p.m. on June 16. ''That's the night before and that's worked for us in the past,'' said DeWitt.

''It gives me time to talk to them, get them lined up properly and also warn the people at the 7-Eleven next door to expect a lot more people that night who want to use their restroom and buy snacks.''

Meredith also noted, ''I'm telling you, if I owned a pizza place in town, I'd be sending people to all these lines to take orders.''

Dixie Chicks band members are lead vocalist Natalie Maines, Emily Robison and Martie Seidel.

Maines, the daughter of musician and record producer Lloyd Maines and niece of Lubbock County Commissioner Kenny Maines, called Lubbock home until joining Dixie Chicks and now lives in California.

Fans were quick to post reports on the Internet after Dixie Chicks kicked off their 2000 tour on June 1 in Winnipeg, Canada. Patty Griffin opened with an eight-song set and then returned to sing her composition ''Let Him Fly'' with the Chicks.

The headlining portion of the show found the stage enclosed in a giant pair of jeans with a big zipper-fly like the band's album art. The jeans then dropped down, revealing the Chicks, who began a 21-song, 100-minute set with ''Ready to Run.''

The band's orchestrated encore makes use of the entire arena and has earned a phenomenal response.

Contests, most seeking fans who are skilled at making animal noises, also were held between the sets by Griffin and Dixie Chicks, with winners then guided to front row seats for the remainder of the evening.

Dixie Chicks' concert in Lubbock is expected to sell out in a matter of hours.

William Kerns can be contacted at 766-8712 or wkerns@lubbockonline.Com